Therapy
by Created to Write
Summary: Sam moves into the Tower and it doesn't take him long to realize the Avengers need a safe space to talk to someone about their trauma.


**I thought of this from a prompt where Bruce jokingly says he's 'not that kind of doctor' to Tony when talking about Ironman 3.  
And Sam takes Tony aside and says that he is that kind of doctor.**

**...And because the Avengers all need serious therapy after all their trauma and this seems like something Sam would do if he ever moved in with them.**

**Slight AU because I have it where the Accords stuff doesn't happen as bad as it did in the movies. Sam needed to be at the compound for this.**

* * *

Five days after living with the Avengers, Sam commandeered an empty office on one of the middle floors of the Tower. No one was allowed to see what he was doing until he came out after working a full day. He tacked a sign on the outside of the door.

_Wilson Therapy for Trauma_

Everyone was surprised, except Steve, who knew Sam's previous job at the VA. Sam would sit in his new office for a few hours a day, as posted in the kitchen. And the door is always unlocked, with a note to press the buzzer on the desk if he is out. He will get an alert that someone came. If he is available (at the Tower), he will tell Jarvis to inform the person he'll be there soon. If he isn't in the building, Jarvis will tell the person that he isn't present. They decide how to proceed at that point.

Most of the team scoffed at the idea, but only a select couple to Sam's direct face. Steve knew it could be good for the team, as they couldn't go to normal therapists about their trauma because of how deep it all is.

Sam still waited. When the team went on missions, he'd work in the gym, search for Bucky, and wander. He found ways to use his time. But he made himself available whenever the team was back from a mission. Some were worse than others.

The office chairs stayed empty.

* * *

Sam used the guest room on Steve's floor. He expected Steve to be the first to use his offer, but Steve was being stubborn as usual. A talk in the park was different than an office, Sam presumes.

He rolls over in bed, and his phone goes off. He checks it.

It's the alert for his office.

"Jarvis?" Sam asks, sitting up.

"I will alert them you are on your way," Jarvis says. He was instructed to not reveal who was at the office, to give the person anonymity.

Sam tugs on his shoes and makes the trek. When he arrives, no one is there. One of the chair is slightly pulled out, but that's it.

He sighs and goes back to bed.

* * *

The next time, he's waiting in the office, reading a book, when the door slowly opens.

Sam looks up to see Bruce peeking in.

"…Is this a bad time?" He asks.

Sam puts the book down, "No, come in."

* * *

"You still have the 'therapy office' up?" Tony asks.

"Yes," Sam says, getting his share of lunch.

"Pfft," Tony scoffs.

"Sometimes people need to be heard," Sam says.

"I tried it," Tony says, "I don't need it."

* * *

Sam gets an alert on his phone when he's in the gym. He heads to the office and finds Clint there.

"Had another dream?" Sam asks, sitting next to him.

Clint nods, "Yeah…"

"Want to talk about it?"

* * *

Thor walks up to Sam during one of his down times. "Son of Will," Thor says hesitantly.

"Just Sam," he says, "what is it?"

Thor rubs his hands together, "Umm… No, nevermind," he turns away.

"Thor?" Sam asks.

Thor stops walking, but doesn't face him.

"…Is there something you want to talk about?"

Thor sighs slowly, "It is nothing of the battle nature, Sam. I shouldn't bother your time."

"Trauma comes in all forms," Sam says.

Thor turns around and takes a seat next to him. He looks around, making sure no one can here.

Then he whispers, "Jane… dumped me…"

* * *

Sam takes the elevator to the office floor. Once he turns the corner, he sees Steve waiting outside the unlocked door, staring at the sign.

Sam lets out a loud sigh, "Took you long enough."

Steve looks at him, smiling a little, "It didn't feel the same as before."

* * *

Almost two nights each week since the office opened, Sam had to get up in the middle of the night because of an alert, only to find the person gone. He let them decide for themselves to actually stay or not. Once it was bumped up to four nights a week, he almost ordered Jarvis to reveal the person, but figured he should wait a little more.

Then, he woke up as he usually does. He doesn't bother changing out of his pajamas, but goes in slippers to the office, expecting to see it empty once again.

Instead, he sees head of fiery red hair over the back of one of the chairs.

He sits down, "Hey Nat."

She looks at him, tears brimming her eyes, but her face calm as always with only a few tell tale cracks.

"Whenever you're ready."

* * *

Most of the Avengers started to have a regular time they'd come to the office. Sam made sure to stay flexible, but it was only so much he could do about overlap. He got used to nightly meetings, and even took suggestions to meet in the lounge area, for less travel time. Everyone had his number, so it wasn't hard to contact him.

When Ultron happened and the team moved upstate, Sam became an official Avenger. But he still set up a place as an office there as well.

After the concept was explained to Wanda, she decided to take a visit. Sam was more than happy to welcome her.

Vision even visited, to try to talk through his experiences. Sam was an attentive sounding board.

Rhodey stopped by only once. The two chatted about serving. They made jokes about different branches of the military, and other topics. But then Sam had to ask, "Rhodes, what is it?"

Rhodey sighs, leaning into his chair, "It's not for me… Tony hasn't talked to you at all, has he?"

"Nope," Sam says.

Rhodey rubs at his face, "I kept telling him to."

"He doesn't live here," Sam says.

"But he was at the Tower, and he still didn't," Rhodey groans.

"He said he doesn't need it," Sam relents.

"Do you believe him?"

"Not for a second."

* * *

After the Accords struggle, which was smoothed out better than most would expect, everyone was back at the Avengers Estate. There was still tension, and people were reluctant to go to Sam for any sort of talking. But slowly he had visitors. Some came together to talk through things.

There was one that never came, regardless of anything.

* * *

"Umm… Mr. Falcon sir?"

Sam looked up, seeing one of the new faces to the Avengers. "Hey Peter, come in."

Peter walked in and closed the door behind him.

"What brings you here today?"

"Umm…" Peter looks around, "Mr. Stark said I could talk to you about… hero stuff."

"Hero stuff?" Sam asks.

"Like… hard hero stuff," Peter says slowly.

Sam nods to a chair, "Of course Peter."

* * *

Sam is once again woken up in the middle of the night. He gets up, changing into some sweats, before actually checking who it was.

It was a number he didn't know. All it says is to go out the back door. He follows the instructions, on guard in case it's something else.

He steps out the back door and looks around. No one is there. He starts to go back inside, when he sees a silhouette near the river, at a bench. He walks over, trying to see who it is.

It's Tony.

Sam sits down, not saying anything.

Tony just stares out at the water.

"…Half the time I don't have a single clue what I'm doing," Tony whispers.

Sam nods, letting Tony have his time to think.

"Most of the time I tell myself that I can figure it out on my own."

"…May I ask what convinced you to talk to me?" Sam asks.

"I have so much I could lose," Tony says.

Tony looks at Sam. The facade of the billionaire has been replaced by utter dread.

"I can't lose the kid. All I can think about is keeping him alive. But I want to support him in being a hero because he has so much potential…" Tony looks at his hands, "yet I feel like it'll get him killed. And that'll be on me."

Sam nods slowly. "Thank you for allowing me to try to help, Tony."

Tony looks at him, "I guess I needed it."

* * *

**So? Thoughts? Is any character OOC? Is there a character that is spot on?**

**I love feedback. It gives me happy fuzzies in my heart.**

**~CtW**


End file.
